Hurricane Milton tracker: Florida avoids worst-case scenario as deadly storm heads into Atlantic

Hurricane Milton left a trail of destruction as it barrelled across Florida and into the Atlantic on Thursday, killing at least 10 people and bringing severe flooding, but the state avoided the worst-case scenario many had feared.

The storm made landfall near Siesta Key, south of Tampa, on Wednesday night as a Category 3 hurricane and weakened in strength as it ploughed across Florida overnight, reaching maximum sustained winds of 205kph when it roared ashore, the National Hurricane Centre said.

At least 10 people were killed by tornadoes in Milton's storm system, US Secretary of Homeland Security Alejandro Mayorkas said in a White House press briefing.

A country club near Fort Pierce, on Florida’s Atlantic Coast, was hit particularly hard by a tornado that killed at least four residents killed, authorities said.

"Structures have been severely damaged or collapsed and tragically we know lives have been lost," Mr Mayorkas said. "We are praying for them and their loved ones right now."

About 90 minutes after making landfall, Milton was downgraded to a Category 2 storm. By mid-day Thursday, Milton became a post-tropical storm after leaving the state near Cape Canaveral.

The storm slammed into a region still reeling two weeks after Hurricane Helene had flooded streets and homes in western Florida and left at least 230 people dead across the south US. In many places on the coast, municipalities raced to collect and dispose of debris before Milton’s winds and storm surge could toss it around and compound damage.

Milton knocked out power across a large section of Florida, with more than 3.2 million homes and businesses without electricity, according to poweroutage.us, which tracks utility reports. Airports in Orlando, Tampa and other cities remained closed.

Governor Ron DeSantis said the worst storm surge appeared to be in Sarasota County, where it was 2.5 metres to 3 metres – lower than in the worst place during Helene.

“We will better understand the extent of the damage as the day progresses,” he said. “The storm was significant but thankfully this was not the worst-case scenario.”

Flooding levels remained high in cities and counties hit hardest by Milton's rainfall and rescues by boat have been conducted by first responders throughout Thursday, with dozens guided to safety, authorities said.

"Search and rescue is our highest priority and we are also praying for those who are unaccounted for, and for their safe return," Mr Mayorkas said.

Ahead of the storm's arrival, meteorologists and President Joe Biden had warned it could be one of the worst to hit Florida in 100 years. “It’s looking like the storm of the century,” the President said on Wednesday.

About 125 homes were destroyed before the hurricane even hit the shore, many of them mobile homes in elder communities, said Kevin Guthrie, director of the Florida Division of Emergency Management.

The storm tore through the roof of the home stadium of Major League Baseball team the Tampa Bay Rays, exposing the metal railing underneath as large panels were ripped off and sent flying, video footage showed.

Fierce winds toppled a crane working on a 46-storey condominium and office building in St Petersburg – set to be the tallest residential tower on Florida's Gulf coast – and it crashed into a nearby building, footage also showed.

Scientists say extreme rainfall and destructive storms are occurring with greater severity and frequency, as temperatures rise due to climate change. As warmer ocean surfaces release more water vapour, they provide more energy for storms as they form.

Milton's power surge and sustained strength is part of a worrying trend, scientists told Reuters, with climate change propelling powerful storms. Weeks before Milton developed, Gulf of Mexico temperatures reached their warmest level on record for mid-September.

“Watching Milton's strengthening unfold in real time … was still staggering,” Andra Garner of Rowan University in New Jersey said.

Sarasota Police chief Rex Troche said the damage from Hurricane Milton did not appear as bad as initially feared but warned against assuming the worst was over.

“My ask is 'please don’t rush home right now', we’re still trying to assess what’s going on,” he said. “We still have downed power lines, we still have trees in the roadway.”

Sarasota city authorities urged residents to continue to shelter as the storm surge was expected to continue throughout Thursday afternoon, and to conserve water because of damage to the local supply system.

The aftermath of Hurricane Milton where debris was still piled outside homes from Hurricane Helene, in Bradenton Beach, Florida. AP

Mr Biden was briefed on the initial impact of Hurricane Milton on Thursday by Homeland Security Adviser Liz Sherwood-Randall and Fema administrator Deanne Criswell.

The White House said Mr Biden will hold another briefing on the federal response to the storm and the role the Pentagon and Coastguard are playing in the disaster response.

In Lee County, where Fort Myers is, the sheriff’s office noted many roads were either under water or blocked by fallen trees, fallen power lines or other debris. Some areas nearly a metre of water covering roads.

A drawbridge east of Matlacha, where about 600 people live on a barrier island, is partially blocked by a house, sheriff’s officials said. The Matlacha area was also devastated by Hurricane Ian in 2022.

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